Summer notes: GCU trio takes Czech trip, plus more

Grand Canyon basketball epitomized its university's Christian worldview with two players and a coach expanding their skills and faiths with international competition this month.

GCU assistant coach Casey Shaw led an Athletes in Action team that went 3-1 against Czech Republic national squads, who hosted Shaw as he led a collegiate team with GCU freshman Luke Shaw, the four-game trip's top scorer Luke, and Lopes sophomore Jack Sawyer to prepare the Czechs for World University Games.

"It was just awesome for them to experience the international game because it's a different style," Casey Shaw said. "It's more fundamental and methodical and way more physical."

Luke Shaw, 6-foot-3 guard who is joining his father and uncle, head coach Bryce Drew, at GCU this year, averaged a team-best 16.5 points per game on 46% shooting against the Czechs with 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.

The Chandler Valley Christian High School graduate finished with a 29-point performance off the bench against the under-23 Czech Republic team. He made 10 of 21 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range, while drawing seven fouls, grabbing six rebounds and getting five steals in an 87-83 win.

"In the first game, Luke was 1 for 9, so he had to make a huge adjustment to the style of play because they just foul all the time and they bump on every screen, and the refs don't call it," Casey Shaw said. "It's just more physical. He realized I'm not going to be able to get to the rim. I've got to do different things and play from mid-range, fight to get open 3s, push in transition and use my speed. He did and got better every game."

Sawyer, a 6-foot-8 transfer forward from Abilene Christian, averaged 5.5 points on 56% shooting in two games against the under-20 Czech team and two games against the under-23 Czech team, which beat India 137-33 on Thursday.

"Jack had to play inside, so he was undersized compared to the other guys, but he played really hard," Casey Shaw said. "He plays with a good motor and sets really big screens. He did a good job of being a glue guy for us."

The Athletes in Action team stayed in a Czech training facility near Prague. Casey Shaw led a clinic for local coaches, and the team spent a day for ministry outreach at a local youth camp.

The team included former GCU players Isaiah Shaw, now with Northern Arizona, and Isaiah Carr, now with Drake, as well as Kansas State's Taj Manning, Louisiana Tech's AJ Bates, Lipscomb's Luke Carter, Anderson's Malachi Reeves and Nelson's Harley Upton. Georgia director of operations Ben Gonzalez assisted Casey Shaw.

"Spiritually, it was an awesome trip," Casey Shaw said. "Our guys just love the Lord. Our guys did an amazing job playing with kids, sharing their testimonies and being a light. They grew spiritually. It gives you a reset for what's important and why you play."

Boisdur reaches U20 EuroCup semifinal

Before Evan Boisdur begins his GCU era next month, he added a bronze medal to his luggage from playing at FIBA U20 EuroCup in Greece.

Boisdur, a 6-foot-1 point guard who signed with the Lopes recently, played for a French team that advanced to the U20 EuroCup semifinals and defeated Serbia 73-62 in a third-place game Sunday.

With an average plus-minus of plus-6.0 over seven U20 EuroCup games, the 19-year-old averaged 1.7 points, 2.9 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game. He was plus-11 with seven assists in 15 minutes of a round-of-16 Wednesday win against Belgium.

France went 5-2 in the tournament, which archived its games on the FIBA YouTube channel.

Italy (6-1) claimed the U20 EuroCup championship in Heraklion, which is on the island of Crete. Italy downed Lithuania 83-66 in the first-place game Sunday.

Boisdur completed GCU's roster with his signing last month.

McGlothan wraps 2nd NBA Summer League

Former GCU star Gabe McGlothan returned to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas this month, when he suited up for the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas.

McGlothan played last summer for the Denver Nuggets and spent the regular season with their G League affiliate, Grand Rapids, where he averaged 9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 24.8 minutes per game with 38% 3-point shooting.

In four appearances this summer for Dallas, McGlothan averaged 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game. He was teammates with No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, conducted an in-game ESPN interview Wednesday night and made a game-winning defensive stop in his nine-point, four-rebound opener last week against the Los Angeles Lakers' Bronny James. He went 3 for 5 from 3-point range that game and posted the Mavericks' best plus-minus (plus-13)

McGlothan closed with a six-rebound, one-point game that gave him a plus-10 in 19 minutes of Friday's win against Orlando. Before leaving Phoenix for Las Vegas, McGlothan held a youth basketball clinic and shoe donation at GCU.

Limited availability of GCU season tickets remain for purchase here.

GCU assistant coach Casy Shaw (fifth from left) guided an Athletes in Action team to a 3-1 mark vs. Czech Republic teams.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Boisdur reaches U20 EuroCup semifinal

McGlothan wraps 2nd NBA Summer League

Players Mentioned

Evan Boisdur

Jack Sawyer

Luke Shaw

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